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“I hope we could move past my Boston era, just a new paradigm, baby”: Kyrie Irving on his enemy no.1 tag at the TD Garden

Arjun Julka
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"I hope we could move past my Boston era, just a new paradigm, baby": Kyrie Irving on his enemy no.1 tag at the TD Garden

Former Celtics guard Kyrie Irving is hopeful that the fans at the TD Garden can move past their strained relationship and remember some of his highlight performances.

It’s no secret now that Kyrie Irving doesn’t play well with authority. From forcing himself out of Cleveland to the anti-vaccination controversy in Brooklyn. Irving remains controversy’s favorite child as he gears to face his former team, the Celtics, in the first round of the playoffs.

The former champion spent two years in Boston, failing to live up to expectations, embroiled in rifts with teammates and the front office. The bad blood between the two parties continued to exist, despite Irving joining the Nets. Nonetheless, Irving’s recent statements suggest him extending an olive branch.

Surprisingly, this wasn’t the case if one observes his actions when visiting Boston in a Nets uniform. Whether it was him stomping on the Celtics logo or burning sage at the TD Garden, Irving held a big grudge against the Cs.

Also read: “Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are simply the greatest two-man perimeter show in NBA History!”: Skip Bayless praises Brooklyn duo for their play-in win

Nonetheless, Irving wants to put all the bad memories behind him as he gears up to face the Celtics in the first round of the 2022 playoffs.

Kyrie Irving expects the Celtics fans to move forward from their soured relationship.

Kai spent two seasons with the Celtics, hoping to get past the shadow of LeBron James. Unfortunately, things didn’t pan out as Irving expected. Though he did have some memorable performances, the former Duke guard failed to mesh with the team.

In his two-years with the Celtics, Irving averaged 24.1 PPG, 6.1 APG, and 4.4 RPG. The former ASG MVP was 48.9% from the field and 40.4% from the 3-point line. However, the Celtics fans are in no mood to forgive Irving, especially post the stomping incident.

With a target painted on him as he returns to Boston, Irving said the following.

“I hope we could move past my Boston era and reflect on some of the highlights I left at TD Garden that they can replay. Move forward. Just a new paradigm, baby.”

Also read: “I would not want to play Brooklyn personally, they can singlehandedly win 4 out of 7 games”: Charles Barkley terms the duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving as scary

One can expect fireworks between the two supremely talented teams. In what many believe, the series between the Celtics and Nets will go down to the wire.

About the author

Arjun Julka

Arjun Julka

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Arjun Julka is a NBA author at The SportsRush. Basketball isn’t just a sport for this 26-year-old, who hails from Mumbai. He began watching the sport after stumbling upon a court in his society, helping him identify an undiscovered passion for the game of hoops. Now an ardent fan, Arjun supports Stephen Curry and the Warriors but also enjoys watching Giannis Antetokounmpo own the paint. When it comes to the GOAT debate, the TSR author feels LeBron James is yet to receive a lot of his due but cannot deny marveling at Michael Jordan’s resume.

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